The Ford Brothers Series Box Set, page 71
The woman hates me and hasn’t spoken to me all this time. Why the hell did she drive three and a half hours to come here? Maybe she didn’t come for me. Or maybe she did. But why? She wouldn’t be pressing charges after all this time, and if she was, she sure wouldn’t be delivering the news to me personally. Then I think hard about it and realize that the only way that she’s here is because she knows the truth. Finally.
“Should I go talk to her?”
“No.” Colton places a hand on my chest. As though I’d start walking against his wishes. “I’ll at least go and thank her for the donation. I’ll take it from there.”
“What should I do? Stand here and watch?” I guffaw with frustration. This is the last thing I need or want right now. This woman has wrecked me forever. Because of her I haven’t been able to have a relationship with a woman since I was with her. And I doubt that I’ll ever be able to again. I don’t want to think about it.
“Go help with the horses. I’ll talk to her.”
I suddenly feel exposed standing here in wet clothes. “I’m going to go change first.”
Colton walks towards her and I quickly turn my back and walk in the opposite direction. As I enter the house, I go into the bathroom with my overnight bag and change into jeans and a t-shirt. Already I feel better. Now all I need is a beer and I’m set. That will have to wait until later. This is a PG event. I’m half tempted to go into Colton’s kitchen and steal a swig out of the whiskey bottle he has on top of his refrigerator, but I talk myself out of it.
As I walk back outside, I don’t see Colton or Nora anywhere. And then I see Colton over by the horses. “What does she want?” I ask him.
“She doesn’t want anything. She saw the ad somewhere and donated. Although I sense that there’s a lot more to her visit than that. But she’s not going to tell me.”
“Where did she go?”
Colton shrugs. “I don’t know. I got called over here, excused myself, and now I don’t know where she is. Sorry man.”
“That’s okay.”
“We’ve got your back, man. Don’t sweat anything.” Colton says.
I see Dalton switching with Jack on the dunk tank, and I decide to go over and help them. Liz is gone so there is nobody dry to collect money and give out balls. “I’m heading over there.”
“Okay. We’ll keep watch.” Colton says.
The last kid in line is looking to take his turn at the dunk tank, and I hand him his three balls. He can’t be more than six years old and he’s as cute as a button. When he goes through his last ball and doesn’t hit the mark, Jack winks at me and gestures towards the target, summoning me to hit it and pretend that the boy got it. I nonchalantly hit it and watch the kid’s face light up when Jack falls in. “Good job, buddy!” I say, high-fiving him.
The line has disappeared, so I pick up the balls and place them in the basket beside the tank. “Thank God.” Jack says, getting out of the tank. “Put the sign up that the tank will be back in ten minutes. I gotta go take a leak.”
“You’ve been on all but two minutes. You’ve gone in once.” I bark.
“I’m done. That sucks.” Jack says, toweling his hair. “Wade can have a turn.”
“Wade’s singing, loser.”
“Well, he’ll be able to hit the higher notes a lot easier after a splash in there.”
I chuckle, watching my pussy brother walk away. I hear someone walk up to me. “I sure hope you don’t do that for all the kids. That would be one way to lose all your money.”
I look up and there she is. The one who broke my heart. The one I’ve thought about a million times in the last three years. The one I’ve both hated and loved all in a day. “It’s for charity.” I say flatly. “It kind of goes with the territory.”
She looks at me with a forced smile, and I look at her with the same. We say nothing. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. “How have you been?” she says, breaking the silence.
“Good, thanks.” I look over towards Colton but he’s busy helping a little kid hop on to Maya’s back. “How are you?” I’m wondering why I’m even asking. It’s my inherent need to be polite. Damn you, dad.
“I’m good. I just dropped Missy off at college this morning.” She starts. “I was in the area and I thought I should stop in and see what this was all about.”
I nod, keeping my expression impassive. I’m not sure if I should keep the conversation going, or let her. “Colton told me that you donated. You didn’t have to do that. Thanks.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
I pull at an imaginary loose thread on my t-shirt. “Why did you do that?”
She nods, letting me know that that’s a valid and fair question. “Missy…she’s been very ill…for a long time. She was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder about a year ago. It’s been a long haul, but she’s great now. I thought it was very fitting to give to something like this. And this way at least I know that the money is going to a good cause.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Is all I can think to say.
“Don’t be sorry. But thanks for saying that.” She pauses, glancing at her feet. “Are you living out here now, or are you just visiting?”
“Visiting.”
She looks at her feet again. “Garrett. I know this isn’t the time or the place, but can we talk sometime? There are a few things I need to talk to you about.”
I draw in a deep breath, shuffling my feet, staring at them. “I’m not sure if that’s a good idea.”
She nods. “I understand. Your wife or your girlfriend probably wouldn’t like you talking to an ex-lover. I get it.” She looks around, suddenly self-conscious.
I shake my head. “It’s not that.”
“Okay.” She scratches her hand nervously, and I realize that there are literally no rings on any of her fingers. Did she never marry? Part of me is glad if she’s as lonely as I’ve been in the past three years. She deserves it. She deservers the same misery as I’ve been plagued with for the last thirty-six months.
Why, I don’t know, but I can’t help but blurt out. “How long are you in town for?” my voice is so low I’m sure she can’t hear me.
“I’m heading back when I’m done here. I just wanted to see Missy settled.”
I want to say I’ll meet up with her somewhere, but I can’t. I just can’t bring myself to speak to her any further than I have right now. I’m silent and she’s looking around as if someone is going to come and arrest her for talking to me. “I should go. Take care, Garrett.” She says, but she doesn’t move until I look at her.
“Yeah. Take care.” I can’t even say her name. As she walks away, part of me wants to grab her and the other part of me is beating that part of me over the head with a club. I don’t move. Dalton approaches a minute later.
“Fuck that was heavy. I thought you were going to punch her.”
“No. I wouldn’t hurt her. Even though she deserves it.”
“What the hell did she want?”
“To talk to me outside of here. I said no. I don’t want anything to do with her. Every memory just came blasting back into my head a second ago. I can’t do this anymore.”
“You don’t have to, man. Fuck her. Fuck all of them.” Dalton says. “What do you say we go get hammered later…you and I?”
“Sounds good.” I say.
But I don’t.
Chapter 30
Garrett
I had an early flight this morning, and as I sit at my desk, pondering through the things that Maggie has sorted through for me, I get a call from Colton. “Hey, bro. What’s up?”
“I thought I’d tell you last, since you’d be the one to talk me out of it first.”
“Talk you out of what?”
“I proposed to Julia. We’re engaged.”
“What?” I’m flabbergasted. “You barely know her!”
“Yeah, well, I love her to bits, and she loves me. What else is there.”
“Sense. Time. What, is she dying or something?”
Colton chuckles. “See, I knew you’d react this way. That’s why you are the last to know. I did it Saturday night after the fundraiser. Wade and Liz helped me set it up.”
“Fuck…me. You’re serious.”
“As serious as ever. We’re getting married…here at the ranch. I’m saying in a month, but it might be sooner.”
I take a second to digest what Colton’s just told me. This from the man who, just a couple of months ago, would walk away from any woman. Now he’s marrying one. I suppose she’s the one. To turn Colton around like that so quickly. It took some doing. I get good vibes from Julia, so I know she’s genuine. She’s the real thing, and not in it for the money the way Pam, Colton’s first wife, was. Drawing in a deep breath, I say, “Well, congratulations.”
“Oh,” he chuckles. “That must have hurt.” He teases.
“It did, a little, actually. But I mean it. Good for you, brother. I’m glad you got out of your rut and took a chance. Not many men, including me, could pull that off so well, and so quickly.”
“Yeah, well…you just have to meet the right one. That’s the difference.”
Maggie sends me a pop-up message on my screen. I have a visitor. I’m not expecting anyone, and I have no meetings scheduled today. “Hey, I gotta go, Colton. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay, man. See ya.”
“See ya.”
I pick up the phone and dial Maggie’s extension. “Who’s here?”
“It’s a Nora Campbell, sir. She doesn’t have an appointment, but she said that you would know who she is.”
I clear my throat. “Fine. Let her in.”
What the fuck does she want now?
Maggie comes in a moment later with Nora in her wake. Nora’s face is impassive at first, but then she offers me a tight smile as Maggie closes the door behind her. “Sorry to bother you at work.” She starts with. “I went by your house, but…evidently you don’t live there anymore.” Nora giggles nervously.
“Yeah, I moved three years ago.”
“I found that out when some woman in a maid’s uniform answered the door. She didn’t speak a word of English, but she managed to understand that I was looking for a ‘Mr. Ford’. The look on her face was telling enough that you don’t live there anymore.”
Nora hasn’t moved from the doorway. “Well, you’re here, you might as well have a seat.” I say gesturing towards the guest’s chairs in front of my desk. Glancing around, she sees my pilot’s hat sitting on the desk. I’m still in my uniform. I’d planned on changing out of it in a few minutes, and getting a workout in for the day…before the interruption.
“Thanks. I won’t take up too much of your time.”
She sits and tosses a lock of loose hair behind her back. “Garrett, I know you don’t want to be bothered. Call me selfish, but I just wanted to clear my conscience of something.”
My hands are folded under my chin, and my elbows are resting on my desk. I remove my hands, fold them in my lap, and rest my back on the back of the chair. “Go ahead.”
“I know the truth, Garrett.” She swallows. “I know that you didn’t do anything to Missy.”
I say nothing at first. A few seconds pass and I give her a light nod. If she wasn’t staring directly at me, she wouldn’t have caught it.
“Missy told me just a couple of days ago. I…couldn’t let that go without at least telling you that I know the truth. I don’t think it’s fair to make a man think people believe he did things that he didn’t.” she pauses. “I know that doesn’t turn back the clock or change anything, but at least you don’t have to feel guilt anymore over it.”
The muscles in my jaw are working and I try to relax them. I swallow, waiting for her to say something else. Judging by the look in her eyes, she’s got a whole load more to say.
“I don’t even know how to apologize.” She closes her eyes and opens them again, looking directly into mine. “I’m truly sorry for all the pain that this has caused you.”
Pain? You don’t know anything about pain, lady.
My face is impassive. I want to say something, but somehow, I’m lost for words. I feel like I should dismiss her, but I know that I haven’t forgiven her. “I accept your apology.” I lie. My voice is cold and flat; like I’ve just asked her to leave for doing something obscene, but I haven’t.
She swallows and lowers her head a little. “You do?” she isn’t buying it at all.
Before I can stop myself, I say. “What do you want from me?” the tone is conversational, but the words are cutting.
“Nothing.” Her voice cracks. “Nothing at all, Garrett.” Her eyes fill with tears and I have to look away. “Missy didn’t know what she was doing. She had no idea of the impact of what she did.” Tears are pouring down her face, and her voice is quivering, but she isn’t sobbing. I’ve never seen anything like it. “David put her up to it.” She finishes.
My head whips over to her at the mention of his name. My nostrils flare and my jaw is clenched. “That son of a bitch.” I say under my breath.
She doesn’t ignore my reaction, but she tries to gloss over it. “Missy’s therapist told her that unless she confesses, she’ll never truly be able to overcome the guilt over what she did. Even though it was really David’s doing, Missy had opportunities to tell the truth. If it wasn’t for her ailing mental health, she would have told me years ago, I’m sure.”
“I’m not sure I believe that she felt guilty, Nora. I don’t think that girl ever liked me from the start.”
“Garrett, that’s not true. I know it.” Nora’s voice is firm. “She loved you. I know she was torn between her father and you. I know she struggled with the truth versus her loyalty to her father.”
I say nothing, but look down at my knees, shaking my head.
Nora’s voice raises an octave; full of conviction. “She’s made three suicide attempts, Garrett. Nobody tries to kill themselves unless they feel like the world would be a better place without them.” A gasp comes from her throat. “She knew what she did was wrong. She knew that she ruined two lives, and she felt like she didn’t deserve her own.”
I look at Nora, shocked. The kid tried to off herself? Jesus Christ. My jaw unclenches. I blink, looking at this torn up woman, trying to do...what, I don’t know. Maybe she is just trying to clear her conscience. Maybe she is just trying to go to bat for Missy. Mothers will do anything for their children. Most of them, anyway. My mother was a different story. She left when Wade was a baby. But Nora…she’d go to the moon and back for Missy.
“Well, if this is part of Missy’s therapy, why isn’t Missy here apologizing?”
“One day she will. If you’ll let her.” She nods. “I think she just wanted your conscience to be cleared, not hers.”
I fold my hands under my chin. “Well, see, that’s the difference, Nora. My conscience was always clear. I knew I didn’t do it. I knew I could never do something as sick as that. What ruined me is that you believed it.”
Her lips purse together. “Some day, when you have a daughter, and she tells you that someone hurt her, you’ll understand what it’s like to be in that predicament. It wasn’t taken lightly, Garrett. That was the night of her first suicide attempt.”
I stare at Nora. I had no fucking clue that that’s what happened.
She laughs without a trace of humor. Tears are pouring down her face. “While you were dusting rose petals onto my bedspread that night, I was watching my daughter have a blood transfusion. Had she sliced the other wrist, she’d have accomplished her mission.”
My eyes widen. I swallow and look the other way. Jesus Christ. I rake my hands through my hair, and then rest my hand against my lips. “Jesus Christ.” I say under my breath.
“I don’t mean to be dramatic, but I just want you to understand the levity of what that girl has been through. This wasn’t her pulling me off to the side, telling me in confidence that she’d been ‘touched’ inappropriately, Garrett. She told me after she came to, once her body had recovered from blood loss. So, you have to understand that had it been anything less than that, I might have questioned her.” Her voice breaks again, and she draws in a deep breath, trying to gain back control.
“Why the hell would she agree to tell you such a lie?”
“Because David told her that if she got rid of you, that he and I would get back together.” She looks at her hands. “Before you I’d never been with anyone else. David never had to worry about someone threatening his big plans in life, whatever they were.”
“So, the son of a bitch was telling the truth.” I guffaw.
“What do you mean?”
“His lawyer called me the day after…” I trail off, not knowing what an appropriate description of that day would be. “and asked me to come visit him in prison. He told me that he put Missy up to it.” I leave out the part where he tried to bribe me for money to call it off.
Nora places her fist against her mouth and stares at the wall. “Why would he tell you that?” she seems like she’s addressing the question to herself, and I don’t want to answer, so I don’t respond. She shakes her head and looks at me. “I’m sorry about that, too.”
“That’s not your fault.”
“I know. But I’m sorry all the same.”
We look at each other for a second and she breaks eye contact. “I should go. I said I wouldn’t take up too much of your time. I’m sure you have lots to do.”
She rises from her chair. “Thanks for seeing me.”
I purse my lips together and give her a tight nod. Part of me wants to walk her to the door, but I stop myself from getting up. I can’t be any closer to her than this. I’m not sure how my body will respond. I’m feeling a mixture of emotions and I don’t trust myself. I’m afraid I’ll either tell her to go to hell and never bother me again, or something else completely irrational. She walks to the door and looks up at me. Our eyes lock for a second and then she turns around.
